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NC Wildlifer
(November 2014) NC CHAPTER OF THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY VOLUME (29) NO. (2)
A
Conversation
with Chris
MoormanUrban Bears
in Asheville
Fall Migration
Demystified
And more!
In this issue…
Editor: Steve Grodsky
Design: Steve Grodsky
Copy Editing: Steve Ball and Katie Greenberg
NC Wildlife On the Cover……………………...
Alex Fish
Greenberg’s Greetings………………………….
Katie Greenberg
Urban Bears in Asheville……………………….
Nick Gould et al.
Connecting the dots: Challenges and
opportunities in understanding the annual
cycle of migratory birds …………....................
Paul Taillie
A conversation with Chris Moorman…. ….…...
Steve Grodsky
Position Officers Phone E-mail
President Katie Greenberg 828-667-5261 x 118 [email protected]
President Elect Kelly Douglass 919-621-3317 [email protected]
Past President Kendrick Weeks 919-609-7605 [email protected]
Secretary Sue Cameron 828-258-3939 x 224 [email protected]
Treasurer Colleen Olfenbuttel 919-920-6302 [email protected]
At-Large Board Member
Gary Marshall 704-948-8025 [email protected]
At-large Board Member
Joe Tomcho 828-713-1109 [email protected]
SE Section Rep Steve Grodsky 973-222-7380 [email protected]
Research in our state -
Venison…it’s what’s for dinner…………………
M. Colter Chitwood et al.
Team Mountain…………………………………
Amanda Heh, Tyler Seiboldt, and Chad Sundol
In your chapter -
Catfish noodlin’………………………………...
Meredith Grady
Become a mentor…………….............................
Lara Pacifici
Workshop success………………………………
Meredith Grady
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On a crisp fall morning, I am crashing through a mixed stand of quaking aspen, American hazelnut, balsam
fir and lowland brush and watching my young golden retriever, Casey, running through the brush. Suddenly
she snaps her head around, nose to the ground, tail vigorously wagging, and suddenly a small rust colored
blur bursts through the underbrush, wings “twittering” as it disappears behind a balsam fir a second later.
Casey quickly gives an inquisitive look and resumes her searches for more birds. We spend the morning
walking through an amazing matrix of regenerating quaking aspen forests, lowland brush, tamarack and
spruce bogs, paper birch and balsam fir – deep in the heart of woodcock country.
You probably would have trouble finding a similar forest throughout most of North Carolina, but in my
home state of Minnesota, they are fairly common. These early successional forests provide nesting habitat,
brood rearing habitat and migratory stopover sites for American Woodcock.
The American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), which actually belongs to the shorebird family, gave up its
beach view for a more cryptic lifestyle, hiding in the forests of eastern North America. American Woodcock
(AMWO), are most commonly associated with early successional habitat and have exhibitied large scale
population declines in response to forest maturation and conversion from early successional ecosystems.
The majority of AMWO populations are highly migratory, breed in northern latitudes, and overwinter in the
southeastern US, with the largest densities occurring in Louisiana. Recently, a pilot study succeeded in
attaching GPS transmitters (backpacks) to overwintering AMWO to study their migration biology. They
successfully tracked AMWO from their wintering grounds back to Kansas, Minnesota and Maine. With such
a successful pilot season, the research team is going to attach more GPS collars over the next two years,
providing unique insight into population-wide movement.
1
NC Wildlife On the Cover --
American Woodcock (Scolopax minor)
AMWO are most commonly found in North Carolina during spring and fall migration, but they also
overwinter and have even been documented breeding here. AMWO are most commonly observed near dusk
flying from day-time roosting locations (in early successional forest patches) to adjacent open pastures and
fields to forage and loaf at night. In late winter and early spring, males begin displaying in preparation for
the breeding season.
Like many other shorebirds, AMWO males lek, selecting small clearings in which to call (or “peent”). They
then fly from the ground in a large spiral pattern and create auditory noises with their three outermost wing
feathers. After a minute or two in the air, they return to the exact same spot on the ground and call, repeating
the process until well after sunset. This is amazing to watch and you can usually sneak up on males for a
great view.
Before I forget, American Woodcock are a popular game species and amazing table fair! They make
amazing poppers and are even better slightly sautéed.
-- Alex Fish
Alex is a graduate student
in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation
Biology at NC State University.
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Greenberg’s Greetings
The NCTWS Executive Board is now in the early stages of planning for The Wildlife Society’s Annual
Conference, to be held in Raleigh in 2016! Ed Thompson, TWS Chief of Operations in Washington, DC,
attended our August meeting to discuss plans for the upcoming conference. John Ann Shearer (USFWS)
attended as head of the Arrangements Committee for the 2016 conference. Our discussion touched on a few
logistical topics, but also included discussion of broader issues including coordination between the state and
regional chapter conservation committees and National TWS in providing science-based information and
positions on conservation issues, and how to foster greater communication among National, Section, and
local chapters of TWS.
The 2015 annual meeting of NCTWS will be held April 7-9 at Lake Logan in the beautiful mountains of
western North Carolina. The program committee, co-chaired by wildlife faculty members Shannon Rabby
and Josh Parris from Haywood Community College, are planning the meeting around a “Partnerships to
Recovery” theme and soon plan to put out a call for presentations. The Partnerships theme seems especially
appropriate for our state because of the many active partnerships among students and faculty of North
Carolina colleges and Universities, NGOs, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and state and federal
agencies in wildlife research and habitat conservation.
Other NCTWS committees continue to be active, as well. For example, the Membership Committee is
working on a welcome email and information package for new members, to help them feel more connected
to the wildlife community and NCTWS activities. In fact, Ed Thompson said that National TWS is very
supportive of this and may even use our “template” as a model for other chapters! The Communications
Committee has come up with a jazzier, “eye-catching” design for the newsletter (take a look!). The
Conservation Affairs Committee has provided guidance on several conservation issues and, as always, is
seeking members who are willing to actively serve. And, the Professional Development Committee
continues to plan workshops and alert members of educational opportunities.
Greetings, members of the NCTWS and wildlife community! I hope
your summer was both relaxing and productive, and you’re finding time
to enjoy the cooler weather and beauty of autumn.
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As always, I want to thank every member for your contributions to the wildlife profession, and - if you aren’t
yet involved - encourage you to become active in the NCTWS “inner workings” by serving on the Executive
Board or on one of our committees.
Have a wonderful fall!
Sincerely,
Katie Greenberg
NCTWS Chapter President
Greenberg’s Greetings
NCTWS Executive Board meets with Ed Thompson to discuss TWS Raleigh 2016. Pictured from left to
right: Colleen Olfenbuttel, Sue Cameron, John Ann Shearer, Ed Thompson, Gary Marshall, Susan Miller,
Kelly Douglass, Joe Tomcho, and Katie Greenberg. Not pictured: Steve Grodsky.
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The National Meeting of
The Wildlife Society is coming
to the City of Oaks in 2016!
Wildlifer Invasion!
There are opportunities for all chapter members to help with the national meeting in
2016. If you have a keen interest in serving as a leader, please contact John Ann
([email protected] or 919-856-4520 ext. 17).
John Ann Shearer has generously agreed
to take on the position of Arrangements
Committee Chair. The Arrangement
Committee is the primary workhorse for
the conference at the state level.
5
Urban Bears
in Asheville
Nicholas P. Gould1, Christopher S. DePerno1, and Colleen Olfenbuttel2
North Carolina State University1
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission2
Movements, Population Ecology, and Harvest Vulnerability of Black Bears in Urban/Suburban
Habitats within the Asheville Watershed
Introduction
In North Carolina, black bear populations occupy 60% of the state and their range continues to expand.
Additionally, the human population in North Carolina has increased and growth continues unabated.
Humans and black bears are now living in close proximity and some areas of North Carolina may have
reached or exceeded the social carrying capacity. In several areas, population management options appear
limited, as hunting is often restricted in residential and urban developments. Additionally, no data exists on
whether urban/suburban environments serve as source or sink populations for surrounding areas, if mortality
rates differ between hunted and unhunted bear populations in North Carolina, if bears in urban/suburban
areas are vulnerable to harvest, or if hunting strategies can manage bear populations and human-bear
interactions in and near residential developments.
Due to the long-term nature of a bear’s life history, we will be collecting information over the next four
years, on the ecology of black bears in urban/suburban areas. Specifically, we will collect data on survival
rates, causes of mortalities, and movements of bears in urban/suburban areas, determine features of, and
model, travel corridors, and determine location and characteristics of den sites. We will compare these data
between bears in hunted and unhunted populations as well as between bears in urban/suburban areas and
bears in rural areas. Ultimately, the results will be used to assist the North Carolina Wildlife Resources
Commission (NCWRC) in developing science-based management strategies for urban-suburban bear
populations in North Carolina. This project addresses and builds upon modern applications for managing
large carnivores in urban areas and will be valuable to the larger scientific community.
Study Area and Methods
Our study is centered on the urban/suburban habitats in and around the city of Asheville, North Carolina.
Asheville is a medium-sized city (117.2 km²) with approximately 83,000 people, located in Buncombe
County in the southern Appalachian Mountain range, and is part of the southern Blue Ridge physiographic
province of the Southern Appalachian region (Fig. 1).
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Urban Bears in
Asheville
Figure 1. North Carolina State University/North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
urban/suburban black bear (Ursus americanus) study area, Asheville, North Carolina, USA, 2014.
7
In addition, a plurality of human-bear interactions occur in Buncombe County; for example in 2012, 40% of
all phone calls received by the NCWRC occurred in Buncombe County. In this particular area of North
Carolina, bears are seen in urban-suburban settings (e.g., subdivisions, downtown) on a daily basis.
We used landowner reports of black bears and public outreach (e.g., Facebook, presentations) to target
amenable homeowners to establish trap lines on/near their property. We attempted to obtain a spatially
balanced sample of 40 bears (25 females, 15 males), within, or adjacent to, the city of Asheville. Bears were
captured in culvert traps baited with day old pastries. Once captured, bears were immobilized, and we
placed uniquely numbered eartags in both ears, applied a tattoo to the inside of the upper lip, and inserted a
Passive Integrated Transponder tag (PIT tag) between the shoulder blades. Bears were fitted with a GPS
radiocollar (Vectronics, Berlin, Germany) that did not exceed 2-3% of the animal’s body weight. We used
the virtual fence application built in to the GPS collars to obtain locational data every 15 minutes (i.e., fine
scale data) for when bears are inside Asheville city limits (i.e., inside the virtual fence) and every hour when
bears are outside the city limits.
Urban Bears in
Asheville
Working with bears in an urban/suburban setting can attract a large audience. Photo
credit: NCSU
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Urban Bears in Asheville
1
From Trap to Map - Tracking bears in Asheville
1. Culvert trapping – In this
picture: Two male yearlings
captured together and collared
along with their mother in late
April, 2014. Photo credit: Colleen
Olfenbuttel/NCWRC
Processing two yearlings in the company of a media crew. Photo
credit: Colleen Olfenbuttel/NCWRC
9
From Trap to Map - Tracking bears in Asheville
2b.
2b. Lip tattoo – In this
picture: Adult male getting a
lip tattoo identifier. Photo credit: Colleen
Olfenbuttel/NCWRC
2a.
2a. Taking measurements –
In this picture: NCSU and
NCWRC personnel obtaining
measurements on an adult
male bear (571.5 lbs).Photo credit: NCSU
Urban Bears in
Asheville
10
From Trap to Map - Tracking bears in Asheville
Urban Bears in
Asheville
“Trap to Map” schematic concept
by Steve Grodsky
3. Release – In this picture: A
collared female released in
northeast Asheville. Photo credit: NCSU
2c. Collar– In this picture: A
young bear fitted with a
Vectronics GPS collar.Photo credit: NCSU
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Preliminary results
This past summer was our first trapping season and from April through September, we captured 65 bears,
including 10 recaptures, and collared 44 bears (24 adult females, 9 adult males, 5 yearling/subadult females,
6 yearling/subadult males). We identified 11 family groups among the captured bears; 3 family groups with
yearlings, 8 groups with cubs. The average adult male (n = 10) and female (n = 24) bear weighed 316 lbs
and 202 lbs, respectively. The average male (n = 13) and female (n = 8) yearling/subadult weighed 119 lbs
and 103 lbs, respectively. The largest yearling we captured was a 163 lbs male. While it is too early in the
study to make any conclusions, we were impressed by the size and health of the yearling bears we handled.
Their large size enabled us to place GPS collars on them, which allowed us to monitor the movements of
entire family groups shortly before and after family-breakup. In comparison, in a long-term NCSU bear
study on Pisgah National Forest, the average yearling weight was 65 lbs. Our largest bear captured was a
571.5 lbs adult male. We have collected approximately 150,000 GPS locations on bears (n = 44; Fig. 2),
with 34 (77%) bears having locations inside Asheville city limits.
Urban Bears in
Asheville
A collared female bear visits a residence in Asheville, North Carolina, 2014.
Photo credit: M. Lock
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Figure 2. Map of cumulative black bear (Ursus americanus) locations, Asheville, North
Carolina, USA, 2014.
Urban Bears in
Asheville
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The bears we have monitored are showing vulnerability to mortality; 4 GPS-collared bears (9%) were found
dead during this reporting period; two were killed by vehicles on Interstate 26, and two were shot and killed
illegally.
More to come…check us out!
Field work will continue for three more seasons and will be followed by data analysis in 2017-2018. We
encourage you to visit our project website for pictures, videos and project details:
https://www.facebook.com/urbanbearstudy.
Urban Bears in
Asheville
Photo credit: NCSU
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Call for Presentations
Deadline: December 1, 2014
Presentations should be approximately 30 minutes in length (20-25 min to present and the remainder for
questions) and should be related to the overall theme of the event. Please submit an abstract as a word
document which includes title, author, affiliations, and the abstract itself to Dr. Josh Parris -
[email protected]. Abstracts should be no more than 250 words including the title, author, and
affiliation. Additionally, presenters should include a short bio to be used as part of the introductions during
the event.
Sample: Please follow this format for submission
Gray Bat (Myotis Grisescens) Winter Activity in Southern Missouri
Joshua D. Parris. Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield Missouri, USA.
The arrival of white-nose syndrome (WNS) has stimulated interest in winter activity of multiple bat species.
Data from a bat activity study in southern Missouri indicated that gray bats (Myotis grisescens) were active
all winter above expected levels. Study objectives were to assess gray bat winter activity including
investigating winter feeding, the need for water, whether winter activity occurs at foraging areas as well as
caves, and whether gray bats are more active relative to other species. Acoustic monitoring occurred over
three winters at caves and foraging areas in Laclede, Shannon, and Washington counties Missouri and
captures occurred during the 2012-13 winter at Coffin Cave in Laclede County and Bat Cave in Shannon
County. Gray bats were captured on 24 of 26 attempts, at temperatures as low as -1.7oC. Gray bat captures
did not correlate with temperature. Of 350 bats captured, three provided a feeding fecal sample during mid-
winter. Urinating was recorded in >50% of gray bats. Those at Coffin Cave, with available water, urinated
earlier than at Bat Cave, with no available water. Acoustic data indicated that gray bats were active all
winter at caves and foraging areas and at higher proportions than expected based on cave populations. Bat
activity at Bat Cave was higher than at Coffin Cave at both the cave entrance and nearby foraging area.
Gray bat activity appears driven by the need for water.
Speaker Bio: Please enter any information that you wish to serve as a means of introduction.
2015 Meeting of the North Carolina Chapter of the Wildlife Society
April 7-9, 2014
Lake Logan, Canton, North Carolina
Theme: Partnerships to Recovery
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Connecting the Dots:
Challenges and Progress in Understanding the Annual Cycle of Migratory Birds
Most people don't think twice when they hear the familiar sounds of chickadees and titmice. These
ubiquitous birds can be heard just about anywhere at any time of year. But in fall, when I can finally turn off
the AC and feel the cool morning air blowing through my office window, a few distant Chickadee calls are
enough to have me scrambling for my binoculars and rushing outside. By the time I get out there, my
normally quiet backyard is chaotic. The scolding titmice and Chickadees have gotten the Towhees,
Thrashers, and Bluebirds all excited as well, and there seem to be dozens of birds hopping around the dense
vine tangles. In addition to these resident birds that share my yard year round, October is a great time for
neo-tropical migrants to be passing through. Departing their temperate breeding grounds, these migrants are
heading south to spend the winter in the tropics, but they can often be found associating with flocks of
resident birds when they stop to refuel.
After the breeding season is over, many birds no longer spend their much-needed energy on defending
territories, and instead form loose flocks with other species. As a group, they ravenously search for insects,
seeds, and fruit to store up fat for the long trip south. It's not uncommon to walk through the woods for a
half-hour without finding so much as a Cardinal, then stumbling upon a flock of dozens of small birds all at
once.
As I start to pick through the flock in my backyard, hoping for a migrant or two, I find mostly Chickadees
and Cardinals. But then, out of the corner of my eye up in the tops of the trees, I find a small bird with a
thick bill and a dark eye-stripe. This Red-eyed Vireo is normally one of the more vocal species during the
breeding season, but in fall they are often silent and only spotted after systematically sorting through a flock
for something different. Though Red-eyed Vireos breed in hardwood forests throughout the state, it is
difficult to know whether this individual is a local getting ready to leave or a migrant from up north just
passing through.
By Paul Taillie
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Because my yard is just a small suburban lot on the edge of the Triangle, there isn't a great deal of bird
diversity most of the year. But the few weeks of migration in spring and fall offer up the chance for
something new. Species that breed up in the far north such as Cape May Warbler and Philadelphia Vireo can
only really be found in North Carolina when they happen to stop to refuel for a day or two. But this
additional diversity can also cause headaches when trying to identify some species, because unlike in winter
when the only thrushes most of us find lurking around the forest understory are Hermit Thrushes, in fall we
have to consider Veery, Swainson's, and even Gray-cheeked Thrushes as well (photo). But like anything,
with a little practice and patience, identifying all the new faces of fall can become much more manageable.
During migration, the thrushes can be a source of frustration for many birders. These three were just a few
of the dozens of thrushes caught on a particularly busy day at a constant-effort banding station in Costa
Rica in early October. From left, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Veery, Swainson's Thrush.
Just as I get ready to head back inside and get back to work, I pick out a drab yellowish-green bird back in
the trees that would be difficult to ID if it were not for the small, but distinctive, white patch on its wings: a
Black-throated Blue Warbler likely not more than 6 months old (photo). In fact, most of the migrants
heading south are doing so for their first time, having just hatched during the previous spring or summer. As
such, many get lost, eaten, or starve along the way. Despite being the season of highest mortality for many
of these migrants, migration is the stage of their lives we know the least about. However, with the help of
some technological advances, how we think about and study migration has been changing rapidly in recent
years.
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In North Carolina, Black-throated Blue Warblers don't breed outside of the mountains, but they can often be
found across the state in spring and fall. This female doesn't have the bold colors of the male behind her, but
can still be reliably ID'ed by the white "checkmark" on her wings. These individuals were captured on the
southern shore of Lake Ontario in September, 2008. Many migrants stopover here after making the long
flight across the lake during the night.
Until recently, our ability to connect the regions where Neotropical migrants breed, spend the winter, and
migrate was limited to band recovery/recapture and isotope analysis. Unfortunately, sample sizes of
recovered bands are exceedingly low, and the isotope signatures of feathers can only give a very coarse idea
of where the feather was grown. Similarly, GPS tags are not yet small enough for most of these migrants
and have limited battery life, preventing us from tracking individuals across seasons. On the other hand, a
new type of tag, called a geolocator, allows individual birds to be tracked from their breeding grounds, along
their migration routes, on their wintering grounds, and back over the course of the year with relative
precision. These tags simply record the length of day and the time at sunrise, and with a little computational
magic, one can use just these two pieces of information to derive latitude and longitude with an accuracy of
~40 km. To avoid issues of battery life, these tags do not transmit data and thus, need to be recovered from
the bird the following year. As such, they are typically attached to adult birds on the breeding grounds to
maximize the probability that the bird will return to the same territory the following spring.
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This Kentucky Warbler was originally banded in the winter of 2009 in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa
Rica. It is pictured here shortly after being recaptured in the fall of 2010, not far from where it was
originally banded. Of the more than 400 North American migrants captured at this banding station in the
fall of 2010, this was the only bird that had been previously banded.
In the few years this technology has been used, our understanding of migration has increased exponentially.
Most notably, the concept of migratory connectivity has developed, which refers to the relationship between
populations throughout the year at different life stages for a given species. For species with high migratory
connectivity, individuals breeding in a particular region of the species' breeding range all winter together in a
specific area in the tropics. On the other hand, species with low migratory connectivity may spend the
winter with individuals that breed in a completely different part of the breeding range. Furthermore,
geolocators allow us to track the routes individuals take between breeding and wintering areas. For
example, both Ovenbird and Gray Catbirds have completely distinct eastern and western populations that
remain isolated from each other over the course of the year, using different migration paths and wintering
grounds, in addition to different breeding grounds. Interestingly, Veery and Bobolinks have been found to
winter in multiple locations in the tropics, with short migration periods in between, a phenomenon that was
largely unknown for these species. Understanding the links between the areas used by migratory birds at
various life stages is essential to effectively address the global conservation challenges faced by these
species.
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In addition to addressing the question of where birds migrate, the use of geolocators has also led to a more
detailed understanding of when they migrate. Previously, most scientists expected birds to adjust migration
departures in response to climate change. Specifically, as summers become longer, birds will head south to
the wintering grounds later. However, recent research has shown that departure times are relatively static,
despite measurable changes in seasonality. Continued shifts in seasonality could intensify this discrepancy
between when birds migrate and the climatic conditions they face, having potentially significant
implications for migration success. In addition to affecting survival during migration, climate-related
conditions such as temperature, food availability, and even wind speeds during migration can also affect
reproduction and survival in successive life stages. This idea that conditions in a given life stage and
geographic location can affect the success of an individual in successive life stages in different geographic
regions emphasizes the global scale of migratory bird conservation. If we are to appropriately address the
issues affecting migratory birds, we need to better understand the factors limiting these populations.
Specifically, in what life stage and which geographical regions are species most limited, and then how are
those effects carried over to other life stages. Lastly, we need to consider how best to coordinate
conservation efforts among the many countries in which these birds spend at least part of their life cycle.
While these are no small tasks, the rapid pace of migration science in recent years has been an impressive
start.
While fall migration has always been an exciting time for novice and expert birders alike, it is becoming an
increasingly exciting time for ornithologists. As technologies continue to improve and datasets continue to
grow, so will our ability to answer new and pressing questions about where these birds go, how they get
there, and ultimately, how best to ensure they continue to make these same trips in the future. So when you
stumble upon a flock of chickadees this fall, keep an eye out for any migrants that may be tagging along.
More information on any of the research described above can be found at the Migratory Connectivity
Project.
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Paul is a Piedmont Wildlife Diversity Technician with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.
A Conversation with Chris Moorman
Steve: I’d like to ask you a few questions…
Chris: You might learn something about me.
Steve: I already know about you.
Chris: *laughter*
Steve: Tell me about your childhood. Any
influences that pushed you towards working
with wildlife?
Chris: I grew up in south Georgia in a fairly
rural place. It was a small town. My father
enjoyed hunting and fishing, and he often would
take me along. I hunted and fished quite a bit
when I was younger. I fished in farm ponds. I
started out hunting for squirrel with my father
and then doves…hunted a few deer. But, when I
was a kid, which was a long time ago now, there
were very few deer or other big game around.
There weren’t many quail either; they mostly
petered out. So, we mostly hunted squirrels and
doves when I was a kid. I enjoyed the outdoors. I
was a Boy Scout. I remember my Boy Scout
leader, at some point, acknowledged my passion
for birds. I hadn’t even recognized that passion.
He recommended I pursue a career working in
wildlife conservation working with birds.
Steve: What do you do for your job?
Chris: Right now, I am a Professor of Wildlife
Ecology at NC State University. I am in the
Department of Forestry and Environmental
Resources, and I coordinate the Fisheries,
Wildlife, and Conservation Biology program.
My role as the coordinator of that program is to
facilitate communication amongst faculty across
a bunch of administrative units on campus, with
special emphasis on the graduate side of things. I
build linkages between students, faculty, and
their programs and external stakeholders
including members of NCTWS, private
landowners, non-profit organizations and other
agencies, especially the state agencies.
Steve: If you weren’t a wildlife professor, what would
you be?
Chris: Architect
Steve: Architect? Why is that?
Chris: In high school, I realized my aptitudes were in
quantitative work…paying attention to detail. I really
enjoyed sketching. I did some drawings. Actually, I did
wildlife art…pencil sketching. And I was pretty good,
but I would have never made a living at it. I also did
some drafting in wood working class. I really enjoyed it
and did well at it. So, I think I would have been a good
architect…The architecture school in GA was at GA
Tech and the wildlife/natural resources program was at
UGA. I was definitely going to UGA, no matter what I
did, so that was the deciding factor. If UGA had an
architecture school, I might be an architect now. But, I
am glad things worked out the way they did. It was the
right choice for me to do what I do.
Chris Moorman’s TWS Service Highlights
• Certified Wildlife Biologist
• Associate Editor – Wildlife Society Bulletin
• NCTWS President
• NCSU Student Chapter Co-Chair
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Steve: You recently won an award – Natural
Resources Scientist of the Year from the North
Carolina Wildlife Federation. It’s even signed by
the governor. How do you feel after receiving the
award?
Chris: It feels great. I think anybody feels like it’s
nice to be acknowledged for their efforts. I am in
this profession not to get awards, but because I
enjoy it. I enjoy what I do. I have a great job. I
work hard. I work exceptionally hard. Long hours.
Sometimes it can wear me down significantly. But,
I have a good job. I may work 60 hours a week, but
to some degree those are hours I choose to work.
But, I mean, it felt great. The NCWF has long
history. They’re well recognized. I have seen the
people that have been awarded…it’s very nice.
Steve: Any fun stories from graduate school you
can share?
Chris: Um…ones that I can share? So, the first day
of my PhD fieldwork I had two technicians in the
field with me…one of them actually just finished
his Master’s degree and he was a good friend of
mine at Clemson University. So, we were in the
field the first day and my study involved capturing
birds with mist nets. We had to clear net lanes, and
we had to clear the lanes through these
experimental forest openings. We were clearing
these net lanes along the margins of the openings,
the interior of the openings, and the woods adjacent
to the openings. And this young woman came over
to us…she just walked right up to us…I mean we
were in a very remote place here. She said “I don’t
think you’re supposed to be doing that.” I
immediately looked at my tech and said “We’re in
big trouble”. Turns out we were mowing down their
trillium research plots unknowingly and that
evening within 30 minutes after returning home, I
got a call from the PI of the overall project. He
lived in Alaska. So, word had travelled all the way
to Alaska. So…that was a good start. Things got
better from there.
Steve: What do you think is the biggest threat to
wildlife conservation we currently face in North
Carolina?
Chris: I acknowledge the pending implications of
climate change. I think it is important for us to
consider those. But to me, in the shorter term, the
area we should be focusing a substantial portion of
our resources on is urbanization – urban
development, urban sprawl, localized increases in
human population, and both the direct and indirect
effects it has on wildlife populations. One indirect
effect is that in these urban areas, kids are
increasingly removed from the natural environment.
I think our long term risk is that if the kids aren’t
connected to the environment, they aren’t going to
be interested in conservation policy or the
profession moving forward. These urban kids are
quite bright. They have a lot of potential, but they
aren’t going to go into conservation fields if they
don’t have any connection to the environment.
Steve: As a family man and a wildlife professor, do
you have any plans for getting your own kids into
the outdoors?
Chris: I love to hunt. I have a three-year-old son and
a five-year-old son. I look forward to the
opportunity to bring them along on hunting trips and
get them involved in hunting. Really for personal
reasons…because it’s a way to connect to them and
it’s the way I connected with my father. I do look
forward to being able to hunt with my little
boys…they’re a little young right now.
Steve: Any advice for young wildlife professionals?
Chris: I would encourage people to become engaged
with NCTWS. Volunteer their time. For every hour
of effort I put into the state chapter of The Wildlife
Society, especially when I was new to NC and a
young professional, I got threefold return in terms of
benefits, making new friends, growing
professionally and learning…building potential
future collaborations, So, I’d say get involved.
22
A Conversation with Chris Moorman
Steve: What have been some our your past roles
with NCTWS?
Chris: I was the co-chair of the Conservation
Review Committee, which is a really important
committee in the Wildlife Society. It’s one that’s
difficult to maintain because it depends on
voluntary contributions to influence policy – which
wildlife biologists hate. So, that’s a real tough
challenge, but it’s an important challenge. I also
was on the Executive Board for a couple years. And
then I was elected to be President, so I am now a
Past President of NCTWS.
Steve: What’s your favorite and least favorite part
about working and living in North Carolina?
Chris: North Carolina is great because it has a
diversity of plant communities…a wide range of
habitat types across the state…a wide range of
animal species because of the elevational gradient
from the coasts to the mountains. It’s a beautiful
state for some of those same reasons. I think North
Carolina is cool because it has some of the great
traditions of the South, but also has a bit of the
progressive nature of some of our more northern
states. I’ve enjoyed all the people I have worked
with. I think the individuals that work with the
agencies and other groups of folks in conservation
are great…
…My least favorite…It’s hard to find a place to kill
ducks.
Steve: Not getting drawn for Mattamuskeet?
Chris: No, I’m on my 15th year straight of not
getting drawn for Mattamuskeet.
Steve: Describe your expertise at NC State.
Chris: At NC State, I perceive that I am the faculty
member that’s focused on wildlife-habitat
relationships, specifically how global change
affects wildlife and potentially how any negative
effects could be mitigated. I study how we
manipulate the way we manage the landscape to
foster more positive effects on wildlife populations.
I teach a habitat management course to foresters,
students in our wildlife science concentration, and
also the students in Natural Resources. I also
conduct research on a wide range of taxa and
questions ranging from the effects of timber harvest
and prescribed burning on wildlife to potential of
Farm Bill programs to conserve animals.
Steve: Have you ever had any interesting names
assigned to you by students in your classes?
Chris: I once had a student who called me coach. I
really enjoyed being called coach. It made me feel
more important than I really was.
Steve: NC State and UGA playing in a football
game…who do you root for?
Chris: Georgia Dawgs. I’ll take the Clemson Tigers
over NC State. NC State is third.
Learn more about Chris Moorman’s research in
North Carolina here.
-- Steve Grodsky
Steve Grodsky interviewed Chris Moorman on 7
October 2014 at Sammy’s Pub and Grill – Raleigh,
NC.
23
A Conversation with Chris Moorman
Research in our state…Venison…It’s What’s for Dinner
M. Colter Chitwood, Marcus A. Lashley, Christopher E. Moorman, and Christopher S. DePerno
North Carolina State University
We recently completed our study of neonatal white-tailed deer survival at Fort Bragg Military Installation.
Using expandable, breakaway radiocollars on hours-old fawns (Fig. 1), we tracked survival and causes of
mortality through 16 weeks of age.
Fig. 1
Photo courtesy of Colter Chitwood
Fort Bragg
24
Research in our state…Venison…It’s What’s for Dinner
We used field evidence (Figure 2) and DNA swabs of fawn remains and collars to assign predators to
mortalities. We radiocollared 65 fawns in May and June of 2011 and 2012, and the 16-week survival rate
was 14% (i.e., 9 survivors out of 65). Of 55 mortalities, the leading cause of death was predation (35),
followed by starvation (16), unknown (non-predatory, non-starvation; 3), and vehicle collision (1). Of the 35
predation events, coyotes were responsible for 30 (86%) and bobcats were responsible for 5 (14%).
Additionally, we documented 4 adult females that were killed by coyotes (Figure 3), a previously
undocumented occurrence in the region. We do not believe the substantial predation levels we documented
are cause for concern in all areas. In fact, in areas where deer are overabundant and hunting cannot reduce
numbers to low enough levels, coyotes will be a deer manager’s best friend. However, low rates of fawn
survival coupled with the potential for coyotes to kill adult females could represent a scenario of concern.
For more details about the results, please see the most recent issue of the Upland Gazette [Fall 2014 (Volume
19, Issue 2)].
Fig. 2 Fig. 3
Photos courtesy of Brendan Sherrill
25
Team Mountain
Research in our state…
Asheville and surrounding areas
Amanda Heh – NC State University
Many historically fire-reliant forests in the U.S. have an unnatural build-up of vegetation and fuel loads due
to fire exclusion. Hence, there is growing interest in restoring these communities either by reintroducing fire
or by using surrogate treatments like mechanical thinning to reduce fuel loads where prescribed burning isn’t
safe or practical. However, fairly little is known about the long-term effects of these management practices
on the plant communities and their associated wildlife. To address the potential effects on ground-dwelling
wildlife, the US Forest Service, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, and NC State University are
collaborating on a study on Green River Gameland in Polk County, North Carolina.
I spent the summer at the Green River site studying the long-term response of amphibian and reptile
communities to prescribed fire, chainsaw felling of small trees and shrubs, and a combination of both
treatments. The upland hardwood forest had not been thinned or burned at least 60 years before the study
began in 2001. Earlier studies on this site, soon after the initial fuel reduction treatments, showed that lizard
abundance increased and salamander species richness decreased as a response to fire in the short-term (<6
years). My project is focused on the longer term (>12 years) effects of repeated applications of the fire and
mechanical treatments. Findings may be different than short-term results due to a delayed response of
vegetation to treatments and the long, complex life cycles of the wildlife species. Results will inform land
managers of the long-term ecological and economic trade-offs of managing fuels with fire or fire surrogate
treatments.
26
Team Mountain
Research in our state…
I am looking forward to returning to this site the next 2 summers after a 4th burn early next year. Anyone
interested in learning study design, drift fence trap installation, herpetofauna capture and handling methods,
or vegetation sampling is welcome to come along with me as a volunteer. Last summer I had 58 enthusiastic
volunteers from Haywood Community College, North Carolina State University, and University of North
Carolina at Asheville, as well as the help of staff from several state, federal, and academic agencies.
Amanda is co-advised by Dr. Chris Moorman (NC State) and Dr. Katie Greenberg (US Forest Service).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tyler Seiboldt – University of Texas at San Antonio
As a Nebraskan now living and working on my M.S. at the University of Texas at San Antonio, conducting
research in western North Carolina has a been a true learning experience. Over the past year and a half, I
have had the pleasure of working in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest just outside of Asheville, studying
the response of herpetofauna and small mammal populations to the season of prescribed burning. With this
study we hope to determine what correlation, if any, there might be between the effects of dormant season
prescribed burning and growing season prescribed burning on ground dwelling wildlife. Fire severity may
differ between dormant and growing season application because of differences in ambient temperature,
humidity, and fuel condition. In turn, differences in post-fire forest structure (tree mortality) between
dormant and growing season burns could differently affect ground dwelling wildlife.
27
A young eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
Team Mountain
Research in our state…
The study site used for this project contains a total of nine units (2 treatments and control, 3 replicates each),
each approximately 3 hectares in size, and separated by fire lines as needed. From May to August in 2013
and 2014 reptiles and amphibians were captured using drift fence arrays, and small mammals
(predominately rodents) were captured using Sherman live traps over a period of seven consecutive days for
each unit sampled. Habitat variables (e.g. ground cover, canopy cover, litter depth) were also measured
during both years in order to determine significant differences created by the season of burn treatment
applications. Since returning from this last field season we are still in the early stages of data analysis, but I
am truly excited to begin seeing the results of all the hard work from everyone involved.
Tyler is advised in North Carolina by Dr. Katie Greenberg (US Forest Service).
28
Peromyscus spp.
Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
Team Mountain
Research in our state…
29
Chad Sundol – University of Texas at San Antonio
Largely due to the cessation of human caused disturbance in the twentieth century, oak species in the
Southern Appalachians have experienced widespread regeneration failure. Oak species are slow to mature
and require a great amount of sunlight while growing into maturity. Many species rely either directly or
indirectly on oaks due to their acorn (mast) production. With the loss of American Chestnut to blight, oak is
now considered a keystone species in the Southern Appalachian ecosystem.
My study is the second phase that will examine the longer term effects that three types of silviculture
treatments designed for oak regeneration have on herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) that dwell in this
ecosystem. The first treatment, implemented in 2009-10 and scheduled to be repeated in 2014-15, was a
prescribed burning to eradicate fire-sensitive species that compete with new oak growth. The second
treatment was an herbicide removal of most of the midstory trees in 2008. The goal of this is to increase
light on the forest floor. The third treatment was a reduction of the overstory to 30 to 40 percent of the
original basal area in 2010 followed by a prescribed fire scheduled for fall 2014. The goal of this treatment is
to let in great amounts of sunlight while also removing competing fire sensitive species. Each treatment
consists of five hectare plots with four replicates of each treatment. Control plots were also implemented for
this study. The study took place at the Cold Mountain Gamelands managed by the North Carolina Wildlife
Resources Commission in Haywood County, NC.
This is just one part off a multi-disciplinary study known as the Regional Oak Study (ROS) which is directed
by the USFS Southern Research Station Upland Hardwoods Ecology and Management Research Work Unit
(RWU-4157). Advisors on this project are Cathryn Greenberg, PhD, Project Leader and Research Ecologist
at RWU-4157 and Christopher Moorman, PhD, Professor and Coordinator of the Fisheries, Wildlife, and
Conservation Biology Program at North Carolina State University, Janis Bush, PhD, Director of
Environmental Science academics programs at the University of Texas at San Antonio and Jerry Jacka, PhD,
Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology also at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
A young northern watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)
Team Mountain
Research in our state…
30
In 2013 and 2014, the second phase of surveying herpetofauna populations took place. Myself, an
undergraduate crew from the University of Texas at San Antonio, local volunteers and help from technicians
and staff at the US Forest Service Bent Creek Experimental Forest installed 128 drift fences with pitfall and
funnel traps and checked them daily. All animals were identified, recorded, and released. This data will be
analyzed for species abundance before and after treatment, changes in physiological condition, and age and
sex measures of populations. The first phase of studying the effects on herpetofauna took place in 2008,
2010, and 2011.
Chad is advised in North Carolina by Dr. Katie Greenberg (US Forest Service).
Northern black racers (Coluber constrictor constrictor) mating
In your chapter…
31
Top Ticket Seller Rewarded with Oodles of Noodles
At the annual conference, the North Carolina Chapter of the Wildlife Society raffled tickets for outdoor
expeditions to benefit the student scholarship program. These trips included turkey hunts, river paddling,
and other exciting outdoor activities. Lucky for me, I sold the most tickets and got to choose a trip to go on
myself. For me the choice was easy… Catfish Noodlin’!
So there I was one Saturday morning in June at the Diggs
Boat Landing at the Pee Dee River with several other
brave souls, including my friend and younger sister, and
Lincoln Sadler as the trip leader, a biologist with the
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. About
twelve of us total wade out into the rocky river, and
finally get to the first large rock with a catfish hole
underneath. After we find the hole and cover the opening
with our feet, Lincoln calls me over with a big grin on his
face. I was first up. His instructions were simple: take a
deep breath, swim down and reach your arm in as far as
you can while waving your hand around, once you feel the
catfish bite (and you’ll know when it does), grab it with
both hands and hold on tight. Easy enough, right? Well,
the catfish was a bit stubborn. After everyone had tried a
few times, Lincoln went in for a final time. After being
down for about ten seconds he began thrashing about
under water, and pulled up a 40 pound blue catfish. Two
other guys and I jump onto the fish with Lincoln to secure
it. It was such a rush and the fish was much more
powerful than I imagined. Now I’m hooked! I will
definitely be going noodlin’ again this summer, and I
encourage anyone who has never done it before to give it
a try.
-- Meredith Grady
Wildlife Specialist
USDA APHIS NC Wildlife Services
In your chapter…
32
Become a Mentor Today!
The NC TWS Mentoring Program aims to pair wildlife professionals with college and
university students interested in learning more about careers in wildlife ecology,
management, and conservation. A successful mentoring relationship will benefit students in
providing them insight to the profession and hands on experience. Mentors will benefit by
gaining service experience and leadership as a role model as well as assistance on wildlife
conservation projects.
The mentoring program is designed to be beneficial and convenient for both parties. The
frequency of contact and duration of the relationship is determined jointly by the mentor and
mentee, but contact is required a minimum of once per semester. Mentors are matched with
students based on location and interests.
Please consider serving as a mentor, and email Lara Pacifici ([email protected]) for a
link to the online mentor application form to begin the process of being matched with a
student. Thank you for considering this opportunity.
Sincerely,
Lara Pacifici
NC TWS Mentoring Committee Chair
Brendan Sherrill of the NC WRC helps NC State student April Boggs remove a bird from a mist net.
In your chapter…
33
Another Successful NCTWS
Professional Development Workshop
The North Carolina Chapter of the Wildlife Society’s professional development committee organized a Bird
Identification and Habitat Management Workshop in Raleigh on June 25, 2014. The workshop was led by
Jimmy Dodson, the piedmont region biologist with NC DENR Division of Parks and Recreation, and a total
of four attendees participated. We started the morning off at Carl A. Schenck Memorial Forest and ended at
the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science Prairie Ridge Ecostation. Both locations offered a wide
range of habitat types that varied in successional stages. Thanks to the habitat variation in the locations and
Jimmy’s expert birding skills, we were able to observe a wide variety of avian species. A total of 42 birds
were identified throughout the workshop, with 31 species at the Schenck Forest and 11 additional species at
Prairie Ridge. The avian species ranged from great crested flycatchers and brown-headed nuthatches to
green herons and orchard orioles. We even stumbled upon a couple reptiles, including a young copperhead
and a large black rat snake! We were able to catch the black rat snake and get a closer look thanks to Kevin
Durso’s quick reaction, a NC museum employee and workshop attendee.
-- Meredith Grady
Wildlife Specialist
USDA APHIS NC Wildlife Services
Chapter Vision Statement
To guide and promote the conservation
and management of wildlife resources
throughout North Carolina
Visit us online at:
www.nctws.org
